The wily Fox wins the final race

Tim Dellor

BBC Berkshire sport at Ascot

Posted at17:5324 Jun

This two-mile, five-and-a-half furlong marathon was won in the end by Oriental Fox, ridden by Joe Fanning.

There was a big shape up in the placings in the final furlong, which you might anticipate in a race like that. Thomas Hobson and US Army Ranger rose into the top three, Qewy, who seemed well placed, dropped into fourth.

He won this race two years ago, and he has won it again, having dominated for most of the race.

This is a very impressive horse trained by Mark Johnson, both he and Fanning have ended on a very nice win this evening.

Let's hear it for the girl

It is as bizarre a close to the meeting as the three Group
1 races are brilliant to the opening.

This is the longest flat race run
anywhere in Europe, at a stamina sapping two miles five furlongs, and has more in
common with the Grand National than some of the sprints over five furlongs we see
earlier in the week.

For that reason look to trainers who have made their mark in
National Hunt circles in this race: Alan King; Willie Mullins; and Jonjo
O’Neill all have runners in this.

And a good chance for Josephine Gordon to better her second place in the Wokingham Stakes with a win here on First Mohican.

She would lay to rest the 30 year record, which has seen no female rider having won a race at Royal Ascot since 1987.

She’s up
against some stiff opponents though, most notably in the form of Thomas Hobson,
Qewy and US Army Ranger.

Ascot ready for the Wokingham Stakes

The last of the cavalry charges, six furlongs and 27 runners, the Wokingham Stakes is a spectacle but blink and you will miss it.

Martin
Harley won earlier in the week, and he’ll be hopeful of another success on
Outback Traveller.

Both Kieran Shoemark riding Projection, and William Buick on
Normandy Barriere will be looking to deny Harley.

It is never a good sign when
trainers tinker with headgear which is why some punters may be scared
away from Raucous, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Ryan Moore - otherwise his credentials are good.

A week for the outsiders

Posted at16:4424 Jun

Jockey Tom Queally and Trainer James Fanshawe got their tactics spot on. Limato was disappointing coming in third. That's another favourite that has been turned over, we've only had seven favourites win all week, a fantastic week for the bookmakers.

Chance of a good end to a tough week for Her Majesty

With the Queen’s extraordinary patronage doing so much to
help make Royal Ascot such a special event, the least she deserves is the
occasional winner.

Dartmouth managed that last summer, and only the bookies
would begrudge the Queen and Dartmouth winning again.

With her husband being
admitted to hospital, The State Opening of Parliament, and having to endure record
breaking temperatures on two of the five days at her favourite race meeting, she has
more than earned a victorious moment.

The biggest threats will come from John
Gosden’s Wings of Desire and Aidan O’Brien’s Idaho.

Carson 'finally' gets win at Ascot

Posted at15:1824 Jun

Since retiring from riding, Willie Carson has taken to breeding racehorses. The winner in the Wolferton Handicap, Snoano, was one of Willie's horses, and he sounded understandably delighted speaking to Radio 5 live after the win.

I've been trying for 30 years to have an Ascot winner... I did think the ground [would be] too firm for him... finally this horse has done it for me.

Martin Dwyer
rolled back the years to win earlier this week. The Derby winning jockey is on
Restorer, trained by Willie Muir. If you’re looking for a longer priced horse
to back this might be the way to go.

A September win in June?

William Buick was on
board a winner here yesterday and he could score again on Masar. Ryan Moore and
Aidan O’Brien won both the Group 1 races and they are evens to start the
final day back in the Winners Enclosure with September.

O’Brien won this race
back in 2011 with Maybe, and everything points to September giving him another
Chesham triumph.